Alive
by simsbabii
Summary: Lara was just paying a visit to an old friend, two, actually. Things didn't go according to plan, her plans, at least. She wasn't ready. Full summary inside. T for sexual themes and swearing in later chapters. And violence, which is a given. Lara/Bruce
1. Chapter 1

**Lara was supposed to just be visiting Amanda at Arkham. Give both lonely women something to do. Somebody to talk to besides Zip or the voices in their heads. She needed somebody to blame for everything. Things didn't go according to plan, though. She was thrown into something beyond her area of expertise. She's been to the threshold of Helheim and back, fought giant sea dragons and destroyed the Scion of Atlantis. Yet none of it prepared her for the Joker's games. She wasn't ready.**

**Disclaimer: I disclaim Tomb Raider and Batman: Arkham Asylum. **

**Contains spoilers for: Legend, Underworld, Arkham Asylum (of course), and slight ones for Beneath the Ashes and Dark Knight (just the whole 'Rachel died' thing)**

**And I'm totally using Christian Bale as my Batman. For he is sexy, contradicting and sexy.**

**EDIT: I have been notified that I switch between first and third person. If I continue to do so, correct me promptly. Because I am likely to not catch it.**

**. . . . .**

"Zip, you did tell him I'm coming, didn't you?" I asked as she pulled up to the mansion.

"For the fifth time Lara, _yes_ I told him you are coming" Zip said irritably.

"Alright. I'll call when I get unpacked." I tapped the button on her earpiece and climbed out of her car.

A light autumn breeze caught her as she stepped out. My hair, which was down for the first time in years, blew back. My brown eyes examined the mansion sadly. I haven't set foot inside Wayne Manor in years. At least not since mother died. The yard was nice and trimmed, bushes at even intervals and white flowers growing. A pang of sorrow shook me as I thought of my home, burned to the ground.

The front doors opened, and a polished man came walking down the front path, a smile on his face, "Lara Croft, decided to join the living, have you?"

I mimicked his smile while trying to mask the memories swimming in my eyes, "as much as I can, Bruce."

"I heard about your home, and about Alister. I'm sorry." Bruce had reached me now and gave me a hug.

Shyly, I hugged Bruce back. Even after eighteen years, Bruce wasn't the least bit hesitant about hugging me. Bruce broke it off, his hands lingering on my arms. "So, what brings you to Gotham?"

"Can't I visit an old friend?" I joked, knowing that Bruce was not the old friend she spoke of.

"Sure you can. Why don't we catch up, it's a little chilly out here."

"I've been colder, but alright." Lara accepted.

The two walked up the cobblestone path. My boots were silent while Bruce's Italian leather shoes clicked against them. There was the one difference between the us that I noticed right away- he was flamboyant and about being noticed while I was about stealth and straying from the crowd. _The crowd wouldn't have Excalibur packed in her suitcase._

Bruce pushed open the door, spreading his arms out, "welcome to my home, Lara."

"It hasn't changed one bit." I lied. There were distinct differences I wasn't about to point out.

Bruce laughed and smiled, "good. I can have Alfred take your things to the guesthouse." The billionaires eyes landed on the ornate stone pinned to my shirt, "is that your mother's pin? I thought… I thought you said she lost it in the crash.

"She did. I just retrieved it from the wreckage. It's saved my life, actually." I stated, placing two fingers gently on the stone and thinking of Amanda.

"A tiny stone saved your life? You _have _to tell me that story, and confirm all of the, uh, rumors I've been hearing about you." Bruce flashed a charming smile.

"What rumors, exactly?" I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms.

"Oh, they're endless. You robbing tombs, killing a member of the Yakuza, getting into some place called Helheim…"

"I didn't get _into _Helheim exactly…"

"Of course not. It isn't true, just a rumor of course." Bruce half-smiled, "well, I believe we should take this to the kitchen. It's around lunchtime, isn't it?"

**. . . **

"So, how's Rachel been?" I asked as she sat next to Bruce at the breakfast bar.

Bruce's eyes bored into the tiled bar, "she's dead. The Joker killed her."

I reached out and put my hand on Bruce's, "I'm sorry. I had no idea-" I remembered Rachel. We had been good friends when we were kids.

"Its alright. Batman took care of the Joker."

"Batman? The vigilante that seems to have been idolized by this city?"

"Batman isn't a vigilante, Lara. He's a hero. And he is real, unlike the myths you cling to so dearly." Bruce quipped.

I turned to look out the back window of the house. Bruce's statement struck a blow against all of my work, "I don't cling to these myths. I research them, uncover their origins. Stop those who want to destroy them."

"Aha. So that's what you've been doing for eighteen years." Bruce smiled, "have you heard from, uh, Amanda lately? I read in the papers that a few months ago she was going out with Senator Rutland's son, James, before he died."

I shook my head and looked at the bar, "has it been that long since we've been in contact, Bruce? Amanda and I aren't on the best of terms. After the accident in college, I didn't see her for years. The next I saw her she tried to kill me."

"Well, it's good to see she didn't succeed. But… why, dare I ask, did she attempt to kill you?"

"We had conflicting interests. We were both after an artifact of immense power. She believed it would send her to Avalon, of all places. I wanted to use it because, at the time, I believed so very strongly that it would bring back my mother." I sighed. Bruce wouldn't understand.

"Lunch is served."

I looked up to see Alfred smiling and setting a plate in front of me. It was steak salad, "thank you."

"Lady Croft, its so good to see you again." Alfred smiled.

"Its good to see you too." I nodded politely.

"Lara, I understand that you would want to bring your mother back but how would an artifact be able to do that?" Bruce said, continuing our conversation.

I picked up my fork, drove it through a bit of lettuce and chewed on it slowly. Finally, I found myself able to speak, "I can't explain it really, I have to show you."

"Well, show me then." Bruce said as he picked up a piece of steak with his fingers and ate it.

I grimaced, "not now. Later."

"Fine with me. But I do have dinner reservations for the two of us, so 'later' will have to come soon."

**. . .**

**Um… awkward into chapter is awkward? **

**I promise, it gets better. And Bruce gets to see Excalibur. Man, this would be way more fun if Mjolnir hadn't been destroyed at the end of Underworld. **


	2. Chapter 2

**I need to stop stalking the TR forums. I found a 'discussion' about Mjolnir and Excalibur and there was a poll on which was cooler. I chose Mjolnir because it doesn't make my screen explode with blinding green light and Lara didn't use it to attempt murder on Amanda.**

**Speaking of our favorite sociopath, we'll be seeing her soon. I promise you.**

**Disclaimer: I disclaim Tomb Raider and Batman: Arkham Asylum. **

**Contains spoilers for: Legend, Underworld, possibly Anniversary, Arkham Asylum (of course), and slight ones for Beneath the Ashes and Dark Knight (just the whole 'Rachel died' thing and the layout for Wayne Manor)**

**Lets get chapter two rolling, with more awkward dialogue between Lara and Bruce. And their dinner where Lara gets pissed off by an old lady.**

**. . . . .**

I laid the sword on the bed and crossed my arms. I chewed on my lower lip, contemplating whether I could trust Bruce enough to show him my discovery. On one hand, I haven't seen him in eighteen years. On the other hand, I feel as if no time had even passed. He's still the same Bruce Wayne I've always known. The one Rachel and I fought over when we were children.

I smiled softly, turning from the sword to my luggage. I sifted around through my things until I found my ever-handy pistols. Zip seems to have named them after infamous criminals- Bonnie and Clyde. _How the mind of that man works, I will never figure out._

"La-ra!" Speak of the devil and he shall come.

"Yes, Zip?" I smiled, recovering them with my favorite blue shirt.

"Just checkin' in on ya. How's it going with Wayne?"

"It depends."

"On?" Zip asked.

"A lot of things." I said simply.

The door to the guest house opened softly, followed by a knocking, "Lara?"

"Zip, I'll have to call you back." Before he could respond, I removed my headset and placed it on the bed next to Excalibur.

"Who uh, who were you talking to?" Bruce asked, running his hand through his hair.

"My technical advisor, Zip. He's the one that called you." I explained.

Bruce smiled, "so what did you have to show me?"

I inhaled deeply, running my fingers over the blade of the sword, "allow me to assume you have heard of King Arthur and his sword, Excalibur."

"Yeah. Everyone knows the story. What, uh, what does that have to do with anything?" Bruce asked, a nervous look spreading across his face.

"It isn't a story, Bruce. King Arthur was real," I paused, wrapping my fingers around the hilt and holding it up for Bruce to see, "and neither was his sword. You see, this could have brought my mother back. It sent her to Avalon, to Helheim, and I believed it would also bring her back."

"Did it?" Bruce inquired, reclining against the wall. How he was taking this all so calmly I will never know.

"No. My mother was a Thrall." I explained, swinging Excalibur over my shoulder. _I killed her._ I couldn't bring myself to speak those words. They hung heavy in my throat.

"Like a zombie?"

"Yes. Something like that." I looked away from Bruce's brown eyes.

"So, mind showing me how that baby works?" Bruce asked, rubbing his hands together and smiling.

I gave him a sly glance, "it depends on if there is anything near by that I can break."

**. . .**

"Its down this way." Bruce called as we descended a hill to the very back of the property.

"What exactly is all the way back here, anyway?" I asked, looking around at the sparse end of the property.

"Just an old shed that hasn't been used in forever." Bruce shrugged, pointing to the tiny shack a few yards away.

I smiled and wielded Excalibur, feeling the energy from it. I flexed my fingers, inhaled deeply, and closed my eyes. With one swift movement, I swung the weapon out and forward. Even through my eyelids I could see the green energy.

I opened my eyes to see the shack completely obliterated, spare a few pieces of wood. Bruce stood beside me with his mouth hanging open.

Smirking, I pushed his chin up, "you'll catch flies that way."

**. . .**

"You look great, by the way." Bruce commented as we drove through downtown Gotham.

I smiled, knowing he was right, of course. I had on a dark purple one-strap dress that scrunched at the hip like a sash before tapering back down to the knee. He looked handsome as well, in a well-tailored black suit and a powder blue tie.

"As do you." My smile faltered a tad as we approached the restaurant. People with cameras were waiting.

"And here we are." Bruce stated, parking in front of the building.

"You enjoy publicity too much." I commented as we emerged from Bruce's convertible.

"Its kind of a 'rich and famous' thing. I thought you'd be used to it." Bruce stated as he smiled for the paparazzi that seemed to be gathering by the hundreds.

"I prefer keeping to myself." I muttered, shielding my eyes from the lights.

We walked into the restaurant as quickly as possible. The sooner I was away from those cameras, the better. As we walked inside, an older couple waved us over. Bruce dragged me along.

"Hello Mr. Wayne, how are you tonight?" The woman asked, folding her hands in her lap pleasantly.

"I'm fine thank you." Bruce smiled, pushing his hair back.

"Who's your friend Bruce?" The man asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, this is my friend Lara Croft.

Mrs. Taylor held her hand out to me and I shook it politely, "pleasure to meet you."

"Is she a model? Or a ballerina?" Mr. Taylor asked, elbowing Bruce playfully.

"No, actually, she's a-"

"An archeologist." I finished, glaring at Bruce out of the corner of my eye.

"Oh, going for brain _and _beauty now, eh Bruce?"

"Why don't you two sit down?" Mrs. Taylor offered.

Bruce looked at me and I gave him a pointed look. "Sure. Why not?"

_Damn him._

**. . .**

"So, who do you think is going to become the new DA?" Mrs. Taylor, whose name I found out is Lillian, asked over her salad.

"I don't know, but hopefully the new one doesn't end up as a patient at Arkham." Bruce laughed, and was joined in by the others.

I wrinkled my brow, "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't follow."

"Gotham's last DA, Harvey Dent, went mad after Rachel's death." Bruce explained, taking a sip of wine.

"Gotham's occupants certainly have a knack for going insane." I muttered dryly, poking my salad with my fork, "or a certain attraction for the insane."

"I certainly hope not. One of us could be next." Lillian laughed, "fortunately none of us know anybody that is… mentally ill."

I took a deep breath, setting down my fork, "Actually, an old friend of mine is being treated at your Asylum. So you best watch your mouth."

Lillian looked at me with a shocked expression, "I'm so sorry, Lara, I had no idea…"

"Of course you didn't." I stood up, feeling the need to walk off my anger before returning.

_Maybe visiting Amanda isn't such a good idea._


End file.
